(My secret splurge- french chocolate truffle tart)

When it comes to cooking and baking I can spend hours in the kitchen creating various masterpieces. I love  new challenges and learning a new cuisine is like living in a new country.   NEW WORLD. NEW EVERYTHING.  I learned many techniques on my own and got few techniques from my amazing grandmother Elena. I love to bake and entertain my friends. I love to see their happy faces when savoring my food. They know when they come to my house for a dinner they will get the best food with the highest quality ingredients, and I will make sure it is perfect.

But imagine if I was careless about my cooking or baking and did not care what I put into the food I made and did not have a recipe or a plan? Last week I made a brand new recipe of a french chocolate tart. It was a big hit. My friends tried convincing me to start a cooking channel.  But…the point I want to make…

Have passion for what do you, enjoy entertaining your audience, love people and bring solutions. I love to compare cooking and baking with PR. Professional Chef gives the best and uses the highest quality foods. He knows how to make his clients happy.  But he also knows what ingredients  are best for a particular recipe. I say PR PRO is like a Chef PRO.

Have you cooked or baked anything without knowing the key ingredients? I am sure you opened the cook book, wrote down the exact recipe, went to the store with your ingredients list , came home and bake the tart.  What would happen if you forgot it.. I love baking. I know if I ever miss the ingredients in my recipes I would be really angry.

When it comes to establishing yourself as an authority in your niche you must have a business plan and it is better if your business plan has PR element. According to the research companies will be spending more on PR by 2015.  In 2010 companies spent almost 10 billion dollars on PR and by 2015 they expect it will be around 15 billion dollars.

The major mistake business owners make is that they leave the PR plan out of their business plan or  it becomes “just in case solution”.  Good PR plan can make a huge difference in your promotional efforts- bring you a better reputation, more targeted leads and increase your income. In modern PR world we have a few major factors that are playing a big role in giving your business mode exposure: SEO, social media and of course your rich content.

Lets talk about the key ingredients you must have in order to make your publicity work.

1. Reaching your audience.

You must think about ideal audience and not using a shotgun approach. It means you must know what media outlet can be interested in  your message and if their readers would love your story as well. Will it be beneficial to them? Focus on reaching buyers directly. It is the best way to go.

2. How much credibility do these media outlets have?

Are they reliable, trustworthy and a leader in your niche? Do their readers listen to them? Think about Oprah OWN network. She talks, and people listen. She is the SOURCE.

3. Choose the specialized publications.

They are more targeted and more open to getting information from the writer. If you target generic publications you will find it hard to reach to them with your message. It must be very narrow.

4. Choose the medium for your message:

Is it a radio interview, a written article or a video? Then you must decide where you are going to look for the right publications.

Earlier I recommended to check these resources to get media inquiries and listings:

• MediaBistro

• HARO

5. Focus on the right angle.

You must learn how to write a good media pitch and approach media outlets. Knowing how to approach a media outlet or even a leading blogger in your niche you must be pitch savvy. Especially if your product is commodity you must know how to show the unique qualities or show the benefits that your competitors did not even mention. Quite often they do not mention and you can take advantage of that..

Make sure your news are strong.  Some companies make it sound like a nice story but media wants a story with news that can bring solutions, change and transformation. Example, company ABC runs ONE day sale on their hottest weight loss product  on a certain date…That is news and you must point out what they will miss if they do catch one time  special. Show it. Include bullet points what they will receive and how can they can have access immediately. Create urgency.

The most important approach is a service approach.. Show how to choose, buy and use product. Be the SOURCE for your listeners or readers.

6. Use surveys and test groups

You will be able to find out if your message is being accepted or rejected.  Send the message (press release) to your business associates and ask for feedback.

7. Make sure you have a media kit

It is very important part of your business. It can be downloadable or you can mail it to the media contacts.

8.  Tracking system

You must track your urls of your website when your readers click on the link to get a free report, an e-book, or even buy your products. Very important to see where they come from and how compelling your message is to your customers.

9.  Write your publicity goals for the next 90 days and 6 months and 12 months.

Remember your PR plan must be put together with your publicist or PR consultant. Without having a plan you will quit doing PR thinking it does not work for you. Understanding that it takes time to get your name known is a very important step .

10 Focus on the major stories and minor stories you want to cover.

Make a list of the top 10 stories that you must send out within 90 days and get to writing them. (Make sure focus on reaching buyers directly. Study buyers keywords and with good SEO you can get more online PR and leads)

11. Misconceptions.

What are the misconceptions your readers might have about your company? Think about it for a moment. Have you ever addressed them?

How do you think you can use them to get more attention? Use them to get  more positive publicity.

12. Write a list of your competitors

We do not bash our competition but we want to engage into the conversations with their customers or in some cases business owners. We want to share even common things and differences. Remember be polite and know how attack- I mean giving your opinions and facts. Never assume things but get the right answers. Your competition’s customers are watching you too.

13. Always discuss budget with your publicist

A publicist must know your budget for the next 6 months to a year and you must set it aside.  It shows you are committed to yourself and your team.  It shows how serious you are and plus it allows a publicist to create a flexible PR plan for you , especially if you have emergencies and need extra funds for your projects.  The tools, PR platforms are not cheap. The PR databases and PR management platforms will run between 5 to 10k a year plus other tools and services you might need  that can average about $500 to $1000 a month. The serious company owner will have 5k a month min in her or his budget.  PR is not a part time deal.
Love to hear your feedback and the part 2 is coming out on Jan 2 2012. Do your mini home work and follow the checklist I have just shared with you.

Look forward to know you more,

Tatyana Gann

Publicity can be terrible. But only if you don’t have any. Jane Russell

From the desk of Tatyana Gann

In my work with media contacts I always ask editors about their guidelines and their editorial calendars. When you know the guidelines you can have better understanding of their audience, their writing style. It can help you to find the right approach. If you are dealing with a blogger who has some influence in your niche it helps to read their posts, see discussions, comments and also to see if they have contributing writers and what they write about..

To get more visibility and more publicity you must remember one thing, regardless how cool you are, media wants great quality content. Without a good piece of advice from you your company, your product or  your service is not going to have a chance to get more visibility.  Make sure bring the advice that has a great value.

Few days ago I spoke with a young internet marketer who shared with me his  story how he became very successful using direct mail method with a very little use of internet, basically from rags to riches story…I told him that to media the story means nothing.  It does not mean the story is not good but media professionals get stories like that all the time! They want a solid advice. They want  some valuable information that their readers can learn from, get some benefit to help them to grow their business or transform personal life.

I always give one simple advice- treat your readers, your potential customers how you would love to be treated. In your writing tell what you want to be told, use the exact words. Show appreciation, support and admiration of your customers. Show them they matter by bringing the exact answers they are looking for.

1. Always focus on how your readers can benefit from your story (it is not your product that matters to them but how it can make a difference in their life)

2. Think how you can inform them and entertain them. Entertaining  your reader with a good story, with some humor can do a lot of good!

3. Help your new readers to accomplish their goals, even small ones. Being famous is your second goal,  not first.  Help them to get success in life or business, you will bring it back into your life. It is a law!

4. Share 3 to 4 lessons you have learned from your product development.

5.  Few ways you paid attention to your customers and what determined to better meet their needs

6. If you landed a new client,  share your strategy and what you did to compete with heavy hitters or may you did not have to compete

7. Share stories in which you failed and what you learned from it.  Take your readers on a tour and explain what you learned, how you recognized your mistakes and what you did to correct them.

8.  If you landed a brand new business partnership, share news.  Share what you did  to help your new partner to see your vision.  Share the bullet points that formed the foundation for solid partnership.

The key is to show your readers how they can excel in what they do  and how they have a better balanced life, business, relationships, health and so on..

Remember the communication with your readers, engaging them in the story, giving them answers and being the source is a must.  My new friend John Morgan known among his friends as ” The Chuck Norris of branding” and author of Brand Against The Machine noted  at his recent book party in Nashville, “Stop being the service provider, start being the resource.”

I totally agree with it. PR and branding are so important. In order to have a great brand, build relationships, love people, show you CARE, give advice, always over deliver and build a great persona.  Always ask yourself “How do I want my customers to remember me in 10, 20 and even 30 years”

Tatyana Gann is the founder of the Smokin’ Hot PR Ezine and Smokin’ Hot PR Boutique, providing publicity, online PR services and even private VIP consulting. Tatyana Gann is ready to bring you publicity tips, advice and PR services to help you gain more raving fans for your business and create smokin’ hot publicity! She has a simple formula for creating a publicity plan that brings results! Grab your FREE publicity weekly advice at: http://www.smokinhotpr.com/

From the desk of Tatyana Gann

Nashville TN

Today I will start with a quote, “Publicity is a great purifier because it sets in action the forces of public opinion, and in this country public opinion controls the courses of the nation.”  –Charles Evans Hughes

As a part of my usual weekly routine I make a visit to my local Barnes and Noble bookstore. Last week I was really evaluating my role as a publicist.  The questions I had in my head needed to be answered:

• Am I alone in this battle to educate small business owners about the value of PR?

• What is the best way to show them the role of PR?

• Why do not they see the value while the major brands spend thousands of dollars per month and even millions per year on PR..

• How can I provide better PR education and coach them to PR success?

So…

I wandered into my favorite aisle  Business Books and stumbled across the book on PR called “For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations” by Ronn Torossian

It was a new book release, and I was very glad I found it..I started reading the book and I realized he spoke my language and I saw that my quest to show company the purpose of PR is not insane. We both had same vision: shape, mold minds of people, help them to see how it can increase brand value, establish online presence and increase the cashflow. It keeps companies out of trouble.

I got the book. I love it. It is PR Bible.

The next day I connected with Ronn Torossian on Facebook and Twitter and I loved his passion for PR, his determination to achieve the best results for his clients and building awareness about the impact of PR would have  on the companies future in the next few years.

When it comes to advertising Mr Torossian gives us a clear picture about the advantages of PR over marketing and advertising and how PR can establish the best company image.

By Ronn Torossian, CEO, 5W Public Relations

This is an excerpt from the best-selling new PR book by Torossian, “For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations”

Public Relations’ Advantage Over Marketing & Advertising — Image Is Everything

PR can be an incredible change-making business — and it is enjoying a well-deserved growth stage. Companies and people are beginning to recognize that the old way of building consumer or public equity is changing. IBIS World, a media research firm, says PR spending in 2010 was $9.73 billion and forecasts it will increase to $12.82 billion by 2015. The growth is in part due to PR’s ability to participate in a more nimble and flexible way with the new methods by which people consume media, including social media. That sounds promising until you compare it with ad spending, which even after annual declines in recent years is about $210.5 billion a year in the U.S. The PR business is a tiny piece of the pie compared to advertising — there’s no reason why it can’t continue to grow and take advantage of its agility in the marketplace.

Unfortunately, a lot of what passes for public relations is lacking because it’s ineffective, irrelevant, and intangible. Negative (or alternatively, overly romanticized) public perception of the industry is fueled by pop culture portrayals that are completely unrepresentative of what real PR work entails. Consider, for example, the character Samantha in Sex and the City. No remotely successful PR pro spends half the day shopping and eating lunch and the other half seducing the UPS deliveryman. PR is far from a glamorous profession (though it can entail plenty of drama).

Various reality TV shows have also purported to show how the business works, and they’ve been way off base. It’s among the reasons why I have turned down two reality show offers through the years. All press is most certainly not good press. Disappointing results from badly conceived or lackluster PR campaigns have also made potentially great clients gunshy about hiring PR firms. There’s a concern that PR will be a money-suck with little or no return on investment. The blame for these difficulties can be placed firmly at the feet of an industry that hasn’t always kept up with changes in the world and hasn’t taken seriously its role as an integral part of a business’s success, including business and brand strategies.

Modern PR has to help brands innovate, market, and message well. My goal is to demonstrate that PR is for everyone. It helps entrepreneurs earn more, small brands become household names, Fortune 500 companies preserve and grow their positions, and personalities and politicians maintain and increase their credibility and relevance. And it helps all of the above rapidly increase brand value. If you have a great idea, product, or service, PR can do a lot to cut through the noise and let the world know.

PR is a mix of journalism, psychology, and lawyering — it’s an ever-changing and always interesting landscape. There are many points of view about PR and what it can, can’t, and should do.

Public relations is an amazing business that offers people, brands, personalities, politicians, nonprofits, foundations, hospitals — you name it — an incredible chance to leverage their strengths and shape public opinion. Who better than a seasoned and forward thinking PR person to anticipate, analyze, and interpret public opinion and attitudes? PR’s biggest advantage over marketing and advertising is the seemingly independent third-party recognition and endorsement it provides — an incredible asset in a crowded, distracted, and confused world. Understanding this point is critical because the right publicity has profoundly more credibility than ads and marketing campaigns. The public feels that when an objective third party — a television show, magazine writer, newspaper journalist, blogger, social networker, or radio reporter, for example — features a company or person in a positive light, that entity is authentic and important.

Brands have to pay attention to personalization, interaction, conversation, efficacy, and social responsibility. Image is everything.

“For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations” by Ronn Torossian is an Amazon best-selling Public Relations book and available for purchase here.

You can find the book at my favorite store Barnes and Nobles online or if you visit your local store.

Follow Ronn Torossian On Twitter and get all his cool stories,  updates and tips.

What can we learn from the best selling author Seth Godin?

One Saturday afternoon I found myself in the action figures section of a toy store in Franklin TN, while my boys were looking at their favorite toys when I saw something and I could not believe my eyes, the action figure of the best selling author Seth Godin.

To my surprise, it was the last doll on the shelf, and even though, they had other action figures of many famous people, Seth Godin figure got my attention. The creator got everything right about its design, even his socks. Well, but no purple cow!

Later that day I posted that photo on Facebook, and it got so much attention!  My facebook friends went WILD! One of my friends asked me, “Tatyana,  did they have a purple cow toy too?” Everyone was so anxious to learn if I got the toy and how cool it would be to use it for my training series. Tweeps on Twitter were tweeting my Twitpic Seth Godin photo.

One big lesson I learned that day that Seth Godin has become a marketing legend.  His impact on the marketing world brought fans around the world  and made him the best blogger, the best selling author of books from “The Linchpin”, “The Purple Cow”, ” Tribes”. In public relations branding is vital. His brand is recognized even in a small historical town of Franklin TN.

His style, his unique personality enabled fans to put his products in front of their friends and create more than just a customer base. It is building Seth Godin ‘s fans empire!

Seth Godin earned his amazing publicity on the web by being authentic .  He became known as the guy who speaks about tribes, a purple cow and why you must be a linchpin.  He is a true wizard, a philosopher that everyone respects online.

When I thought about his influence online and even offline I saw the the following:

1. He is unique

2. He stays true to what he thinks and speaks

3. His books tell the brutal truth

4. He knows how to engage into conversations with his audience

5.  He is not AFRAID to be different

6. His offline PR is superb. He reached new customers with an action figure.

7. He is an innovator

8. He is a mindset teacher

9. He teaches how to be human in business relationships

10. He loves to be shocking and controversial.

What do you want to be known for in your business community?

Your business is about YOU, your passions and sometimes being controversial, unique is WHAT people are seeking.

Being  YOU is the best online PR for your business and it will get in the right places. It will bring your the ideal clients you are seeking without forcing your product awareness down your potential customers throat!

One more thing….

Are you ready to get the best publicity for your business, share your story and let your customers put your name in front of each person?

Book our complimentary FREE PR consultation for LIMITED TIME ONLY!

We look forward to serving you!

Tatyana Gann

(c) Copyright 2011  Tatyana Gann. All Rights Reserved.